


Enchanting

by bananzer



Series: Fics for Friends [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, not my OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28122327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananzer/pseuds/bananzer
Summary: Imagine learning how to swim in a glowing pond.
Relationships: Bofur/Original Hobbit Character(s)
Series: Fics for Friends [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060238
Kudos: 9





	Enchanting

**Author's Note:**

> so [this art](https://pistachiozombie.tumblr.com/post/636440733051715584/imagine-learning-how-to-swim-with-glowing-algae) inspired me!

“You can’t swim?” Bofur looks a little less than horrified. Leanna squirms uncomfortably, wondering how the conversation ended up here.

“No,” she says, “few hobbits can.”

Her husband frowns and blows out a mouthful of smoke. “What if you fall in the water?” He says worriedly. “Or out of a boat?" 

"I don’t think—”

Bofur shakes his head and puts out his pipe. “No. Nope! You’re learning to swim. Come with me.”

“Bofur, I—”

He ignores her, tugging the hobbit lass up to her feet and out the door of their cottage. There is a small pond out back, full of reeds and lilypads and small fish. It sings with frogs on summer evenings like this one. Bofur is already taking off his boots and outer clothes. 

“Bofur…” Leanna tries again. “I—”

“You trust me, right?” He says softly, looking into her eyes. Of course she does. She nods. He smiles kindly at her and squeezes her hand. “I will not let you drown,” he promises. “Now, take off those clothes, you can’t swim in that dress.”

Leanna frowns. “I don’t want to swim naked.”

“Then leave your slip,” he says, and winks, “it’s not like I’ve never seen ya without clothes, amrâlimê.”

Leanna splutters, her face burning with a blush and he cackles. She takes off her clothes, all except for her slip, and lets Bofur lead her into the cool water. She shivers as the liquid creeps up her thighs. She isn’t cold, it’s a hot night, the frogs and bugs and night creatures almost deafening, but it’s still frightening. She looks down into the water with wide eyes.

“Leanna,” Bofur says gently, squeezing her hand again. “Keep your eyes on me.”

She swallows hard and looks up at him. He’s smiling down at her fondly, holding her elbows steadily. “I’m scared,” she admits.

“You don’t have to be. I won’t let you go.” He knocks his forehead to hers lightly, and leads her deeper into the water. She clings to his arms as the water buoys her toes off the ground. There’s a fleeting moment of gripping panic and she looks wildly at Bofur. He tightens his hold on her arms and gives her a reassuring smile. “Give your legs a little kick, lass. It’ll help keep you afloat.”

She’s scared to take her feet off the bottom _on purpose_ , but he’s so gently encouraging, so she does, with a nervous gasp. “There you go!” he says encouragingly. “Good job, Leanna.”

He pulls her through the water, and they don’t notice the sun setting until the stars are out. Seeing a light out of the corner of her eye, Leanna drags her eyes away from Bofur to look at it, and gasps softly. “Bofur!”

The water is glowing, really glowing, fish dancing beneath the surface around them, their scales shimmering in the soft moonlight. The sight of it all is so beautiful, it makes Leanna’s breath catch in her throat.

“Well,” Bofur says wonderingly, “would ya look at that!”

“What makes it do that?” She asks breathlessly, taking one hand off Bofur’s arm to trail it through the glowing water. “Is it magic?”

“I don’t know,” he says, “sure is pretty, though.”

She smiles up at him. “Did you know? That it looked like this out here at night?”

“No. If I had, I’d have spent more time out here.” He’s gazing at her with a lovestruck expression, enchanted by the way the glowing light looks bouncing off her skin, her hair, illuminating her lovely eyes.

“What?” She asks bashfully, blushing under his intense look.

“Nothin’,” he says, “I was just thinkin’ how enchanting you look right now. Like a faerie.”

Leanna blows out an embarrassed puff of air. “There you go again with the poetry. Flatterer.”

He bends and kisses her forehead tenderly. “You know I mean it wholeheartedly.”

She smiles. “I know.”


End file.
